• home
  • posts
  • category
  • philosophy
  • Info, news & debate

    Philosophy posts

    A ‘Transcender Manifesto’ for a world beyond capitalism. A seed.

    Dil Green is a founder member of Mutual Credit Services, who are working with Stroud Commons to design models for the commons economy for various sectors of the economy. This article first appeared on his blog 5 years ago, but it’s so relevant to the current commons movement, that we’re re-posting it here. Read more

    Ancient wisdom to face challenging times

    El Habib Ben Amara of Water21 | 02-Feb-2024 | 4

    Beautiful article by El Habib Ben Amara on how development is desertifying ancient ksars (fortified oases) in north Africa, and what we can do about it. Read more

    Decentralising power: the why, what, how and who of growing the commons economy

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 08-Oct-2023 | 11

    Why we need to replace capitalism with a commons economy; who will do it and how. Read more

    An authoritarian world government is not going to save us

    A growing question for environmentalists is the extent to which the existential threat we face means that countries and populations should be forced to reduce consumption, and hence whether an authoritarian politics is the best way to face the future. Read more

    Conversation with Jem Bendell, part 2: how should we respond to the collapse of capitalism?

    Jem Bendell of JemBendell.com | 02-Jul-2023 | 0

    This is the second part of a conversation between Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org and Jem Bendell, professor of sustainability leadership at the University of Cumbria, and author of the now famous 2018 Deep Adaptation paper that claimed that we’re on an inevitable path to civilisational collapse. Read more

    Conversation with Jem Bendell, part 1: is industrial capitalism coming to an end?

    Jem Bendell of JemBendell.com | 25-Jun-2023 | 6

    This is the first part of a conversation between Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org and Jem Bendell, professor of sustainability leadership at the University of Cumbria, and author of the now famous 2018 Deep Adaptation paper that claimed that we’re on an inevitable path to civilisational collapse. Read more

    If our civilisation were collapsing, would we even know? Review of Jem Bendell’s ‘Breaking Together’

    Dr Patrick Smith of Papillon | 04-Jun-2023 | 10

    In Breaking Together Bendell argues that the collapse of industrial consumer societies is not just “inevitable” but is in fact already underway. Read more

    Surviving the Future 2023: deep dive for anyone concerned about what’s coming

    In these tumultuous times, it’s good to pull back and think together — to share conversation — curated by experts and in the company of some of the most compelling people who have been thinking about these issues for a long time. Read more

    Review of ‘Change: How to Make Big Things Happen’ by Damon Centola

    Although the ‘viral’ approach (large networks, weak ties between people) can work for small packets of information, when it comes to behaviour change, it doesn’t seem to work well, and can actually be counter-productive. Read more

    George Monbiot and friends are wrong: techno-utopianism won’t save us

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 20-Nov-2022 | 11

    George Monbiot has joined a campaign called ‘Reboot Food’, working with techno-utopians who would like to see governments remove support for organic food and deregulate the GM industry, as well as producing bacteria-based food in giant factories (‘precision-fermentation’), and getting rid of smallholdings. Read more

    How much trouble are humans really in, and what can we do about it?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 25-Sep-2022 | 28

    I’m inviting you to come on a journey with me. In an attempt to answer the question above, I’m going to research and write a series of blog articles (including interviews with key people), from which I’ll produce a book, and re-structure the Lowimpact website, including our message. Read more

    Can governments solve the climate problem?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 31-Jul-2022 | 2

    Short answer: no, because governments are fixated on maximising GDP growth, which is the root cause of the climate crisis, and which far outweighs any (rare) beneficial legislation that they might introduce. Read more

    Is it time to rethink the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 29-May-2022 | 3

    Time to rethink the UN’s ‘Sustainable Development Goals’: the concepts of ‘development’ and ‘progress’ based on eternal GDP growth are flawed. Read more

    How the state favours big business and causes inflation with ‘Quantitative Sleazing’

    A new essay on the economics of the pandemic suggests that the recent inflation is a sign that that failure is accelerating towards us. It’s an important reminder for us to ask ourselves how ready we are to both cope and help others in a crumbling economy. Read more

    How not to build a movement, as demonstrated by Chris Saltmarsh

    We thought you might like this extraordinary defence of Deep Adaptation by Matthew Slater. Last year, he and Extinction Rebellion co-founder Skeena Rathor, authored a chapter in Deep Adaptation: Navigating the Realities of Climate Chaos; last month it was reviewed by newcomer Chris Saltmarsh, the champion of Jeremy Corbyn’s Green New Deal proposals and author of ‘Burnt’. Read more

    Toward co-operative commonwealth: transition in a perilous century

    A while ago, we interviewed Pat Conaty, author, academic and stalwart of system change activism. We talked about how to grow the ‘co-operative commonwealth’ and about what constitutes the ‘commons’ in the 21st century. Pat is now part of the Synergia Institute, who have put together a MOOC for those of you involved with social and environmental change, and frustrated at the lack of real change we can see around us. Read more

    Review of ‘Going to Seed’, new book by Simon Fairlie

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 06-Feb-2022 | 1

    This is a review of Simon Fairlie’s new book, Going to Seed, out on Feb 10th – his ‘counterculture memoir’ – although at times I’ll unapologetically veer into (hopefully relevant) political rambling. Read more

    Is money the root of all evil? Shaun Chamberlin Part 2

    This is Part 2 of a conversation with Shaun Chamberlin (Part 1 is here). Shaun left the board of the Ecological Land Co-op as I joined. He’s been involved with the Transition Network – he wrote the Transition Timeline. His website is Dark Optimism. He took on the work of David Fleming after his death,… Continue reading Is money the root of all evil? Shaun Chamberlin Part 2 Read more

    Where are we headed? (‘physics doesn’t negotiate’): Shaun Chamberlin

    At Lowimpact we’re interviewing people who are working to build a new kind of world. We want to promote what they’re doing, and find ways to work together. Today I’m talking with Shaun Chamberlin. Read more

    Happy new economy in 2022

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 02-Jan-2022 | 2

    This is a 2022 New Year’s message to everyone I know, or who uses this website, reads our blog and/or watches our videos. I’m an optimist. Eventually, I think we can turn things around. And even if we can’t, if we help the people in our network to do what they do, at the very… Continue reading Happy new economy in 2022 Read more

    There’s a crash coming – a slap from Mother Nature. This isn’t pessimistic; it’s realistic.

    The human impact on nature and on each other is accelerating and needs systemic change to reverse.

    We’re not advocating poverty, or a hair-shirt existence. We advocate changes that will mean better lives for almost everyone.

    Sign up to our newsletter

    Facebook icon Twitter icon Youtube icon

    All rights reserved © lowimpact 2023